MIT Technology Review - proteinhttp://www.technologyreview.com/tagged/protein/
enDrug Discovery with Computational Chemistryhttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/424732/drug-discovery-with-computational-chemistry/
<p>A startup is banking on new software that incorporates the energy of water molecules into chemical models.</p><p>Most pharmaceutical companies use software to model chemical interactions, with the hope of speeding up the drug development process. But it’s typically a small component of a complex array of approaches. <a href="http://www.nimbusdiscovery.com/" target="_blank">Nimbus Discovery</a>, a startup based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is using computational chemistry to drive the entire process. </p>Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:00:00 +0000digitalservices424732 at http://www.technologyreview.comDrugging the Undruggablehttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/423529/drugging-the-undruggable/
<p>A chemical “staple” creates mobile biological molecules with staying power.</p><p>While scientists have identified proteins that drive myriad diseases, finding ways to control them is another matter. Thanks to structural and chemical limitations, only 20 percent of the body’s proteins can be targeted with existing drugs. Most existing pharmaceuticals are either small molecules that require very specific surface features to enter a cell or large biological molecules that are too big to gain entry. But new types of therapeutic molecules developed over the last decade, called stapled peptides, may be able to work their way into tissues that were previously inaccessible. In research presented at the American Chemical Society meeting in California last week, Harvard biochemist <a href="http://www.hms.harvard.edu/dms/bbs/fac/Verdine.html" target="_blank">Gregory Verdine</a> described two potential new drugs—one for colon cancer and one for asthma—that are capable of going where none have gone before. </p>Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:00:00 +0000digitalservices423529 at http://www.technologyreview.comMaking Cells on an Assembly Linehttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/423381/making-cells-on-an-assembly-line/
<p>A chip-based method to churn out cell membranes could aid the development of novel proteins and synthetic cells.</p><p>Researchers have developed a way to create uniformly sized cell membranes, small cellular packages that can be used like tiny terrariums to study the inner workings of the cell and even create new molecules. </p>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 04:00:00 +0000digitalservices423381 at http://www.technologyreview.comA New Approach to Treating Rheumatoid Arthritishttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/423291/a-new-approach-to-treating-rheumatoid-arthritis/
<p>An engineered protein reduces arthritis symptoms in mice.</p><p>A new protein engineered to inhibit molecules that cause inflammation not only reduces symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in mice but also may have potential to reverse the disease’s course. Researchers hope the findings will point toward a new therapy for this crippling and difficult-to-treat disease, which occurs when the immune system attacks the body’s own joints. Even medications that are most successful in halting joint inflammation are effective in only about half of the patients who try them.</p>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:00:00 +0000digitalservices423291 at http://www.technologyreview.comThe Key Ingredient to Effective Cancer Treatmentshttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/421801/the-key-ingredient-to-effective-cancer-treatments/
<p>A startup is developing oxygen-carrying compounds that it says could make radiation therapy more effective in half of all cancer patients.</p><p>About 50 percent of cancer patients have tumors that are resistant to radiation because of low levels of oxygen—a state known as hypoxia. A startup in San Francisco is developing proteins that could carry oxygen to tumors more effectively, increasing the odds that radiation therapy will help these patients.</p>Wed, 24 Nov 2010 05:00:00 +0000digitalservices421801 at http://www.technologyreview.comGrowing Organs and Helping Wounds Healhttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/420059/growing-organs-and-helping-wounds-heal/
<p>A strong, stretchy material could provide a scaffold for growing organs or making wounds heal faster.</p><p>A stretchy new fabric made by linking together the proteins found in muscle tissue could provide a scaffold for growing new organs. It could also be used as a coating for bandages to help wounds heal quickly and with less scarring. The fabric was made in the laboratory of <a href="http://www.hsci.harvard.edu/people/kevin-kit-parker-phd" target="_blank">Kevin Kit Parker</a>, a professor at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. </p>Mon, 02 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0000digitalservices420059 at http://www.technologyreview.comHelping Joints Regrow Themselveshttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/420021/helping-joints-regrow-themselves/
<p>A chemical-infused scaffold generates new tissue by attracting stem cells.</p><p>Today’s titanium replacement joints work very well for 10 to 15 years, but replacing them after they’ve worn out is a challenge for both patient and surgeon. A team of researchers from Columbia University proposes a way around that problem: by implanting a scaffold that encourages the patient’s own stem cells to regrow the joint. </p>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0000digitalservices420021 at http://www.technologyreview.comDrug Targets Lupus by Tricking Immune Systemhttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/419428/drug-targets-lupus-by-tricking-immune-system/
<p>A new approach shows early promise in fighting the devastating disease.</p><p>Scientists developing drugs to treat lupus face a daunting set of challenges. The disease, which affects 1.5 million Americans, results when the immune system mistakenly recognizes healthy tissues as dangerous and attacks them, touching off a range of responses. Some patients get arthritis and rashes, others develop heart disease, and some suffer kidney damage that can endanger their lives. And it still isn’t clear what causes all these symptoms.</p>Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0000digitalservices419428 at http://www.technologyreview.comDetecting Single Cancer Moleculeshttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/419215/detecting-single-cancer-molecules/
<p>A new test could predict prostate cancer recurrence much earlier.</p><p><a href="http://www.quanterix.com/index.html" target="_blank">Quanterix</a>, a diagnostics startup in Cambridge, MA, has developed a highly sensitive <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/business/20760/" target="_blank">new technology</a> capable of detecting a single, cancer-linked molecule in blood, to predict the recurrence of prostate cancer. In a new study of 30 men who had their prostates removed, the test could detect low levels of the molecule that commercial assays missed. </p>Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0000digitalservices419215 at http://www.technologyreview.comGold Nanosensors to Track Diseasehttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/418410/gold-nanosensors-to-track-disease/
<p>Tiny chemical probes implanted into patients could identify proteins in trace quantities.</p><p>Gold nanoparticles designed to detect proteins within cells, using just laser light, could enable simple and highly sensitive monitoring tools for blood clots and other disorders. Researchers in Scotland have shown that the novel particles can accurately detect thrombin, a biomarker for blood clots, in blood samples. They ultimately envision tests in which the gold nanosensors are injected directly into the patient, enabling measurement of protein concentrations by shining laser light through the skin. In the nearer term, the technology will allow scientists to directly examine how proteins, such as those involved in viral infections, interact within a cell. </p>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0000digitalservices418410 at http://www.technologyreview.com